


Chasing a Legend Part 1: Path to the Ruins: Endpoint

by moody_trans_detective



Series: Rogueass Galaxy [61]
Category: Rogue Galaxy
Genre: Boss Fight, F/F, Kissing, Religion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-26 21:26:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30112254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moody_trans_detective/pseuds/moody_trans_detective
Summary: Kisala tries to understand Lilika's spirituality.
Relationships: Lilika Rhyza/Kisala (Rogue Galaxy)
Series: Rogueass Galaxy [61]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1956043





	Chasing a Legend Part 1: Path to the Ruins: Endpoint

It wasn’t fair, Lilika not speaking to her. Kisala didn’t understand why the warrior was so touchy about Kisala pointing out the simple truth that spirits just didn’t possess people. She understood spirituality and connection and the intense emotion Lilika must be going through, being back here where she lost someone dear to her, but to go on like this woman wasn’t completely dead, like her spirit could be roaming these ancient pathways, well, it seemed a bit much.

They hacked through ancient mishes and smilers, sent feathers flying from fancy fowls and wings from poisonous flies, but fighting together didn’t seem to warm Lilika’s chill mood. Kisala was hurt. She approached Jaster.

“You were raised in a church, right?” she asked.

“My father, Raul, is a priest back in Salgin.” Jaster ducked a low-hanging vine. “I served on the altar for years, and attended—”

“Good,” said Kisala. She didn’t need to know everything about him. “So what’s going on with Lilika?”

Jaster stared at her, mouth slightly open. Rude.

“Uh,” he said, and rubbed the back of his head. “I don’t know anything about her spiritual practices…It’s not like there’s one church for all the Wilherser system.”

“Jaster, I know you have to know _something_. You tried to interrupt me before, back at the beginning of these terrible paths. It’s about the spirits, isn’t it? You can’t seriously think they’re real.”

“I do,” he said, and wouldn’t look at her.

“Does Raul think they’re real?” Kisala couldn’t believe this. She’d been through supposedly haunted pockets of space that either had nothing in them, or just a deviler someone mistook for the paranormal.

“His religion doesn’t have anything to do with Burkaquan beliefs.” Jaster pulled his sword, cut through a couple of poisonous flies that got too close. “Lilika says there’s spirits, then there’s spirits.”

“How can they both be true?” Kisala was frustrated. None of this made sense.

Jaster shrugged.

“What about possession? Does Raul preach that?” She wanted answers and Jaster was dodging her.

“No, but trust me, Kisala, it’s real.”

“How would you know?” she snapped.

He flushed. Kisala blinked as he turned red, surprised. Jaster seemed to have no shame, and here he was visibly showing embarrassment. At such an odd thing too.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been possessed.”

He rubbed his nose.

“I won’t, then.” He paused. “Maybe we’ll spot a spirit, or maybe not, but it’s real to Lilika, and doesn’t that matter to you?”

Kisala crossed her arms, insulted.

“Of course it matters! But—”

“Then treat it like it matters.”

“She holds herself back.” Kisala gestured to Lilika, who whirled when a leaf brushed her. “Look at how jumpy she is. She didn’t want to come in here.”

“I don’t think it’s believing in spirits that did this to her,” said Jaster. “She’s maybe the bravest person here, I don’t think threats or dangers hold her back. Ever.”

Kisala bit her lip. She thought he was right, and it annoyed her. The real problem wasn’t if Lilika believed in fantasies, it was that she was acting so unlike herself. It was that she was hurting, and Kisala didn’t like seeing that. She left Jaster picking his way around a pile of red horn dung directly in his way and went to Lilika.

She jumped as Kisala approached her, then frowned and looked away.

“Lilika…I wanted to say I’m sorry. I—”

Lilika threw out an arm, catching Kisala on the chest just beneath her neck.

“Ow!”

“Stand back,” said Lilika. She seemed to be watching something cross in front of them. Kisala squinted, but at best all she could make out was a faint blurry red…blob, maybe?

“What was that?” she asked.

“That spirit was wandering confused, but not all will be,” said Lilika.

“That was a spirit? There was barely anything there.” It had been so faint Kisala wasn’t even sure if she’d actually seen something or just wanted to see something. “Lilika?”

“Fool lizard!” Lilika dashed ahead, to a courtyard where Jupis was holding a cursed mask up to the diffuse jungle light to get a better look at it. “You’ll call the Jungle Master down on us all!”

Jupis looked up, tilted his head in confusion. Kisala followed Lilika, the others running after. Lilika reached Jupis and struck the mask from his hand so hard he yelped.

“Hey!” he said as it clattered across the stone. He hopped back and forth on his feet and shook his hand in pain. “That hurt!”

Lilika pulled her bow and nocked an arrow, eyes darting around. Kisala didn’t have a good feeling about this. She pulled her daggers, noticing out of the corner of her eye Jaster readying his sword. For a moment the jungle seemed still and silent, and then a roar pierced through the air, caught in the courtyard, and bounced over the ancient stone walls. Jupis scrambled away to somewhere behind Jaster, although he did grab his spear.

The beast dropped down in front of them, Lilika’s arrow striking it between the eyes before Kisala even got a good look at it. The beast was a massive lion, made of living wood and moss and vine. He roared again.

“Beast Leone! We will defeat you!” shouted Lilika, and shot him again.

“So that’s a Jungle Master,” said Jaster.

Kisala darted in and jumped, raked her daggers down Beast Leone’s side. He roared again. Snapped his head around to bite her, but Lilika put an arrow in his neck and he twisted back around again. Blood pounded in Kisala’s ears and she laughed. She and Lilika really did make a good team. She was barely aware of the others assisting; Jaster hacking chunks of wood off the beast, Steve’s little air missiles, Deego’s big swipes. It felt like just her and Lilika. They fought like they were reading each other’s minds, like they’d planned the tactics out ahead of time.

And when Beast Leone fell at last, with one final, weak roar, Kisala looked over, panting, and saw the most beautiful expression on Lilika’s face. It was triumph and exertion, flushed cheeks and parted lips. Kisala had to go to her. She tucked her daggers away, stepped over splinters the size of her forearm. She slid her hand into Lilika’s.

Lilika turned to her, gaze locking with Kisala’s, intense. Her eyes burned. Kisala leaned up and kissed her.

Lilika grabbed her and kissed back.


End file.
